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DEL.ICIO.USChambliss: ‘Let us educate you’ about immigration bill
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Both Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss spoke at a morning breakfast to start the second day of today’s state Republican convention.
Of the pair of U.S. senators, Chambliss gave the most extensive defense of their involvement in the immigration reform bill, which has become the topic of the convention. Both were involved in the negotiations, and have given it their cautious, and probationary endorsements.
Both senators will address delegates this morning. Later, the convention will vote on a resolution declaring the Republican party against amnesty. It’s based on S.R. 646, which was adopted by the Senate this spring.
At the breakfast, Chambliss gave a short history of his and Isakson’s opposition to immigration legislation last year, and explained why they got involved this year.
We spotted U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey of Marietta, who has come out against the bill, in the audience.
Said Chambliss, who’s up for re-election next year:
“We felt like it was critically important to our state for any number of reasons, but particularly for this reason. Georgia is the fourth fastest-growing state in the nation today. But we are No. 1 when it comes to being the destination point for those folks who cross the border to the South illegally,” Chambliss said.
“We have a growing problem in this state, and if we don’t solve it now, folks, it’s going to be left to our children and grandchildren. And we all know that every day that goes by, this problem gets worse.
“So we either stand on the sidelines, and we vote against everything, and we throw rocks, or we engage in the process. And we try to make what we think may be a bad bill a better bill. And that’s the route that Johnny and I decided to take,” Chambliss said.
“This is the most sensitive, most politically charged, emotional issue I’ve seen. But it’s probably the most important issue that we’ve dealt with, other than the war on terror,” he said.
“The end result is not something I’m totally happy with. I probably like about 70 to 75 percent of what’s in this bill. The rest of it I don’t like.
“But we have a choice. We have a new majority in Congress. Us not setting the schedule, us not committee chairmen, us not determining what legislation comes to the floor.
“We had the opportunity to stay back and let them write what we knew was going to be a bad bill, or be engaged. And I am very pleased that we were able to get 70 to 75 percent of what we wanted.
“Before we just throw cold water on this bill, give it a chance. Let us educate you about it.
“There’s some folks we’re never going to totally satisfy. There are a lot of people who think we ought to take everybody here illegally today, arrest them, throw them in jail, and send them back to where they came from” Chambliss.
At this point he was interrupted by a loud round of applause.
“If it were possible to do that, if it were practical to do that, I’d say you’re right.
The problem is that we all know that can’t be done. It’s not going to be done. So we have to play the cards we’re dealt. And the cards we were dealt meant we needed to engage,” he said.
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By Will Jones
May 19, 2007 10:42 AM | Link to this
Chambliss was probably one of the Congressmen on Larry King the evening of 9-11 telling the audience about the plane he saw flying up over the Capitol…from the Pentagon. He knows the War on Terror is a fraud/treason perpetrated by closet-queen Bush and the same Rockefeller Fifth Column his family has served since Standard OIl was built on unredressed murder and arson. BIG OIL is Roman Catholic, run by Vatican-banker Rockefellers, and Chambliss is pushing for Rome’s illegals here in Georgia and must be stopped. If the illegals are given a path to citizenship the assets of the Roman Church must be expropriated. Keep the laborers, be done with the pedophile priesthood…and their corrupt lying politicians like Chambliss, the Republicans, and any Democrat in bed with them. America’s Whig Founders were correct: Rome is the Anti-Christ. They are promoting illegal immigration by their surplus slaves to take back America which, they teach those willing to be taught by pedophiles, was “stolen” by the Anglos. JFK crossed Rome when his NSAM 263 ordered us out of the slave plantation in Vietnam, and his Exec. Order 11,100 took Rockefeller and the Vatican’s hires of the Fed off our money supply. The Roman Catholic Knight of Malta-led CIA killed him with W’s father’s help. His Knight of Malta-grandfather was Hitler’s banker on Rome’s behalf. The People must now “educate” Chambliss and the rest of those willing to turn a blind-eye to Bush’s treason and closeted homosexuality and hypocrisy by running them out of office and into the jail cells where they belong as committers of Treason and Misprision of Treason. Capitol Hill saw the “white plane” fly up over from the Pentagon as the missile hit on 9-11. Are Georgians and Atlantans willing to let these draft-dodgers keep playing us for stupid? They work for Rockefeller and Rome…the knowable real Anti-Christ. America must seek righteousness. Let’s watch Babylon fall in a day. Death for Treason is a start.
By Avid Voter
May 19, 2007 10:48 AM | Link to this
This is bad law, unenforceable, ignores previous fence commitment, and will cause these two senators to lose their seats if they don’t try to shut it down…”something” is not better than nothing. SEAL THE BORDERS
By Logical Republican
May 19, 2007 11:26 AM | Link to this
First off… easy Will…
Secondly, I think Chambliss hits the nail on the head. An immigration bill is going to pass since the Ds are in charge. Look over in the US House, Dems are in charge over there and have the votes to probably move a piece of legislation too. The rules of engagement for policy changed last November when Republicans got thrown out of power. (And they way that they were spending money, it is hard to certainly blame folks, too.)
Finally, if you look at the scorecards of all the different congressional delegations, you would see that our two Senators have more “A” rankings than most every state in the union. They haven’t all of a sudden become passive on the issue; I think they are at least staying relevent to the process.
By James
May 19, 2007 11:29 AM | Link to this
Mr. Will Jones - Why are you being wishy-washy? Why are you being so vague and unspecific? For God sakes man, don’t hide the truth, tell it like it is!
PS. One question - How much time do you spend looking under the bed for boogey-men?
By Ted In Bed
May 19, 2007 11:31 AM | Link to this
No Amnesty for Saxby!!!!!
I’m a long time Republican. We will “educate” him this next election. Once we vote him out, we’re going to focus on Juan.
By John
May 19, 2007 11:57 AM | Link to this
Obviously, the Democrats (and Republican panderers) ARE NOT going to offer up any meaningful immigration legislation.
The Georgia General Assembly needs to pass a simple immigration bill:
NO ILLEGAL ALIENS ALLOWED IN GEORGIA!
Any employer (corporation or individual) caught employing an illegal alien is to be found guilty of a felony and fined $10,000 for each illegal alien employed. $5,000 rewards should be offered for each illegal alien found. Whistleblower protection should be offered to corporate insiders.
No landlord should rent any residential property to any illegal alien or be guilty of a felony and $10,000 fine if they do. Same $5,000 reward program with the same whistleblower protection.
There is no need to create law enforcement positions here since the $5,000 reward incentive should more than do the job - certianly better than government workers.
SIMPLE SOLUTION: No jobs - no housing.
THAT SAID: If this simple solution were enacted, watch all the two-face hypocrites coming running and complaining because who then is going to mow their grass, wash their cars and clean their houses? Who is going to build all those new houses? Who is going to wash dishes and bus tables in restaurants? Who is going to pick the tomatoes and peaches on our Georgia farms? Who is going to work the assembly lines in all of Georgia’s chicken processing plants?
God knows, if we rid Georgia of all illegal aliens; Western Union would go out of business, pay-day lenders would dry up, buy-here pay-here car lots would disappear as would coin laundrys.
No legislation will ever be enacted ridding the USA of illegal aliens unless and until the hypocites come to grips with reality:
Illegal aliens have filled a legitimate economic need and labor void in our economy because another entire class of native born would rather be on welfare, unemployment, worker’s comp, social security disability, WIC and so called “entitlement programs!”
By Glenn
May 19, 2007 12:10 PM | Link to this
John is absolutely correct! Why should Georgia wait for the U.S. Congress to resolve what is a problem in Georgia? Nancy Pelosi could care less about Georgia! If Georgia truly does not want illegal aliens within out state borders then it is the obligation of Georgians to do something about it! John makes an excellent point that if you take away illegal aliens jobs and housing then you’ve taken away their incentive in coming to Georgia. Now if we can convince our brethren in South Carolina, and Alabama and Florida to do the same; we’ll be alright.
We don’t need a Democrat Congress to pretend to solve our problems when we have a Republican majority in the Georgia General Assembly!
Georgia needs to post a sign at all its’ borders saying:
“Extranjeros ilegales no dan la bienvenida!”
They’ll get the idea soon enough!
By Claude
May 19, 2007 12:44 PM | Link to this
Gosh, Saxby Chambliss sure is nice to offer to educate us stupid, ignorant boobs. What would we do without him?
By Rick in Lawrenceville
May 19, 2007 1:27 PM | Link to this
I have to laugh at Chambliss, I called his office and the person answering the phone ensured me that Mr. Chambliss was NOT THAT INVOLVED in this immigration bill. Now, he thinks it is a good deal.
Since we haven’t tried to increase the number of ICE raids we don’t know if we could encourage SELF-DEPORTATION! Increase the number of raids in EACH STATE to two per month! That would get things moving. Just visit some contruction sites and downtown Atlanta hotels for a start.
It’s hard to believe that Chambliss or Isakson would talk about the Democrats controlling Congress. The Republicans controlled Congress for 10 years and DIDN’T DO A SINGLE THING TO STOP ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION DURING THAT TIME! They should just shut up instead of using that excuse.
The new immigration bill does nothing to stop further illegal immigration. They should make illegal immigration a FELONY for those who enter after this bill is passed.
When temporary workers come here and have ANCHOR BABIES, then we have more unwanted US citizens that we now have to educate and otherwise care for on the public dime! NO MORE ANCHOR BABIES!
Too many H1-B visas while we have plenty of skilled workers to do the job. However, businesses do not want to hire American programmers at $80,000/year when they can hire H1-B workers at $40,000/year. Most Americans can not raise a care for a family on $40,000/year and still pay off huge college loans. And on that $40,000/year salary they still have to pay higher taxes to support all the illegal immigrants to which we have granted US citizenship.
Our Senators are doing us nothing but a disservice and making a lot of excuses. We deserve better than the effort they have given us to date. We need to get rid of them and find someone that will actually work with the citizens instead of the business lobbyists and special interest groups!
By Marge
May 19, 2007 2:16 PM | Link to this
This is an amnesty bill and shame on our two Senators for attempting to sell us out in order to get anything passed. If Senator Chambliss does not think it is possible to deport aliens, then I say he should be out of office. Same with Isakson who wants our borders secure with a surveillance camera. Try using that for the Whitehouse. Right now, they use a fence. He obviously does not understand his oath or office or have the political conviction to do what he was elected to do. No, it is our Senators who need to be educated. Our borders should have been secured the day after 9/11 and not tied to any bribes or triggers for any legalization of criminal. More disturbing is to watch impotent elected official who simply can not think of anything they can do to stop the massive illegal alien influx into our State. No bill is better than this bill. Let our State laws kick in this July and throw out all of these traitorous bums. Its not about what is practical or what the Senator thinks “can not be done”. Wake up. Put the troops on our borders, penalize employers, stop the benefits. And, oh yes, let’s keep the families together but deporting every anchor baby with their mom when they show up for their free medical care at the Emergency Room. Shame on our two Senators for aligning themselves with Ted Kennedy and this post unpopular President in modern times.
By Marge
May 19, 2007 2:16 PM | Link to this
This is an amnesty bill and shame on our two Senators for attempting to sell us out in order to get anything passed. If Senator Chambliss does not think it is possible to deport aliens, then I say he should be out of office. Same with Isakson who wants our borders secure with a surveillance camera. Try using that for the Whitehouse. Right now, they use a fence. He obviously does not understand his oath or office or have the political conviction to do what he was elected to do. No, it is our Senators who need to be educated. Our borders should have been secured the day after 9/11 and not tied to any bribes or triggers for any legalization of criminal. More disturbing is to watch impotent elected official who simply can not think of anything they can do to stop the massive illegal alien influx into our State. No bill is better than this bill. Let our State laws kick in this July and throw out all of these traitorous bums. Its not about what is practical or what the Senator thinks “can not be done”. Wake up. Put the troops on our borders, penalize employers, stop the benefits. And, oh yes, let’s keep the families together but deporting every anchor baby with their mom when they show up for their free medical care at the Emergency Room. Shame on our two Senators for aligning themselves with Ted Kennedy and this most unpopular President in modern times.
By catlady
May 19, 2007 2:44 PM | Link to this
Seems like to me the federal government can do a few things before we worry about legalization. First, end the incentive to coming to the US to have babies by immediately revolking the law that a child is a citizen by being born here. That should only be true if the mother is here legally. Second, secure the border. Bring back troops from Iraq to do so (the old two birds with one stone). Secure it completely, totally, and ruthlessly. No more catch and release.
Third, get SERIOUS about fining the** out of employers who hire illegals. No, that does not mean the employers are taking on the role of the federal government. The employers do not have to deport the prospective illegal employees, just refuse to hire them, knowing that there WILL be an true, regular audit and that they WILL be fined say, $10,000 per worker plus a daily fine for each day employed. And get rid of the joke, supposedly fail-proof, we have right now of verifying social security numbers! It is defrauded every day by a major industry in my town that supposedly uses it, yet 90% of the employees are here illegally.Right now, there are too many Americans profiting by the illegal immigrants being here. Take the profit out of it completely, and make it too expensive to continue to take a chance. True American citizens, and those here legally, can prove it with real records, rather than the silly things we are currently accepting for “proof”.
For those who argue that they are doing things Americans won’t do: that may be so. We have made irresponsibility possible and inviting for so many Americans. Who wants to work for $7 per hour? Wages should be higher, profits should be lower. But if your choice is to work or go hungry, to work or live in the street (or have to stay with family), well then work looks better and better. We do need safety nets, but not for those who CHOOSE to fall.
The next step is aggressive deportation. US citizen minors of illegal parents can come back when they are self-sufficient and 18, but they go home with their mothers now. We deliver illegal immigrants to the American embassy in their home country. And we deduct the cost of the deportation from any aid we give that country.
Finally, when ALL those things are working smoothly, we concentrate on what kind of changes we need to make, if any, in our visa programs. I say we concentrate on bringing in folks with sterling records of behavior, responsibility, and skills. Truly, folks, we have PLENTY of unskilled Americans to do the jobs, if we give them the incentives to do them.
By Chris
May 19, 2007 2:55 PM | Link to this
The more narrow-minded people are the more extremist they are - It is either their way or everything else is bad. I feel sorry for you angry folks out there. You’re the one having to live with that anger all your miserable lives.
By jo
May 19, 2007 3:03 PM | Link to this
look at the stupid comments people are writing. get it through your thick heads u cant get everything u want. politics is the art of compromise, so if yall dont wanna give in to anything shut up and leave the country. to catlady saying we have plenty of unskilled Americans to do the jobs, if we give them the incentives to do them. why do we have to force americans to work? if they dont wanna work there is no need to provide incentives to persuade them to work. the real concern here for mostly white americans is they are scared of being the minority period. if the majority of illegals were europeans, most of you guys wont be complaining
By catlady
May 19, 2007 3:30 PM | Link to this
jo, I am sorry. I did not mean Americans should be forced to work. I do mean that there should be good reasons for them to work, such as adequate pay and benefits, the joy of eating and living in a home, being able to afford to marry and have a family….Rather than not working and having the government (us) provide the food and shelter and medical care for a person and their children. And jobs should have adequate pay and benefits for those working, with financial incentives for additional education and skills.
By jo
May 19, 2007 3:40 PM | Link to this
hey catlady do u want employers to pay 12 bucks an hour to a high school drop out?? i bet if friuts and vegetables started going for like 3 bucks for an orange because of high wages,we’ll be the same folks complaining that its so expensive
By tom
May 19, 2007 3:40 PM | Link to this
Everybody has his/her own suggestions about how to deal with illegal immigration. So, here is mine. I am sure most of you extremist will agree with. How about if we build couple of concentration camps down in South Georgia. Put all the illegal alliens in them, work them to death and and then gas the rest. We actually don’t even have to come up with new laws…another extremist came up a good set of laws 60 years ago. His name was Hitler. After we finish with illegals we can move on to get rid of all other people that don’t look like us or don’t think like us - jews, blacks, asians, etc. After we finish with all of them we can all rejoyce in our arian harmony!!!! Stop blaming the illegals for your misery. Do they take job away from you? Well…if a guy with four years of schooling and not speaking English can take the job away from you, then you better go back to school. Get an education! Because if an illegal won’t take the job away from you, a mindless machine will - very soon. I am proud of our senators. They prove to me they are open minded people that can look beyond small time angry dogs like you and come up with a solution to a big problem. Successful people can see the value these immigrants bring to the country. Their labor adds to the overall wealth of the society. Small minded people only see somebody to blame or an excuse for their failed lives. Success doesn’t need excuses, only failure.
By catlady
May 19, 2007 4:53 PM | Link to this
No, jo, 12 bucks to a hs dropout is out of line unless they have very specialized, high-demand skills they acquired somewhere else. My point is we have able-bodied, low skilled Americans who don’t work (see unemployment figures) and who want to blame “the Mexicans”. They seem to be able to do that because there is a safety net in place that allows them not to seek gainful employment. Without some of that safety net, and with employers unable to fall back on glad-to-have-it $5 an hour illegal employees, wages would be somewhat higher, and currently unemployed Americans with limited skills might begin to develop some life skills (other than relying on taxpayers or crime) such as punctuality, planning, money management. As it stands now, employers get cheap, uncomplaining labor and higher profits, and the American taxpayers pay through the nose (or another part of the body) to support it. Not only are the immigration laws broken, but the folks involved (illegal immigrants and low skilled Americans) are not treated in Christian ways, are they? Not to mention taxpayers, who grow increasingly restless with all of it, and threaten a continued lowering of civility in our country (see the posts on this blog of those who cannot tolerate anyone willing to discuss other options).
I know quite a few (maybe 150?) illegal immigrants because of the work I do. Without an exception the ones I know are hardworking, God-fearing people. I wish more Americans were like them. The question becomes, however, whether this country can continue and is willing to absorb them. And for that, I think the answer is a resounding NO. So what are the solutions? In my first post I offered some ideas for discussion based on experiences and observations I have had. I think all ideas should be on the table at this point, instead of name-calling, automatic dismissal.
By jo
May 19, 2007 6:06 PM | Link to this
catlady in your first post everything you offered amounted to deport every illegal even their kids who are us citizens. it’s funny that in your last post u write about all ideas on the table instead of automatic dismissal. but when senators talk about legalization people like you scream amnesty and refuse to consider anything. to people on your viewpoint or people from your side want only their way and nothing else.
By tim Raymond
May 19, 2007 7:30 PM | Link to this
Will Jones said “Death for Treason is a start.” tee hee …
By CT
May 20, 2007 12:08 AM | Link to this
Good job Senators!! Thank you for being pragmatic and reasonable. To the no-amnesty crowd: it is unfortunate that you are unable to see reality and are bent on mass deportation (which would immediately cripple or entire nation and the Georgia economy would crumble).
However, given the fact that only 40 years ago, blacks couldn’t eat in the same diner as whites, it is completely understandable. I am guessing that most of you probably went to all white schools and are upset that your grandaughter is attending school with a Mexican, and God forbid she actually date one.
Just a quick note: It is too late. Immigration reform is going to pass. Not only that, even if it didn’t, the 1 million illegal immigrants in Georgia are having children faster than you are and the number is going to jump to 15 million over 50 years (with or without legalization). Our State has changed, either change with it or get out..
By BackfromIraq
May 20, 2007 10:53 AM | Link to this
Remember “we the people” are in charge!
Virtually no attention has been paid to the enormous costs involved in legalizing millions of low-skilled illegal aliens. Little wonder thatsupporters of “comprehensive” immigration reform are racing against the clock. They best hurry up and pass this EXPENSIVE bill before taxpayers already opposed to amnesty realize what it’s likely to cost them. The Heritage Foundation’s Robert Rector has shared the following analysis in testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. Some 50 to 60 percent of illegal immigrants lack a high school degree. Granting amnesty or conditional amnesty to illegal immigrants would, overtime, increase their use of means-tested welfare, Social Security and Medicare. Fiscal costs would go up significantly in the short term but would go up dramatically after the amnesty recipient reached retirement. Based on his current research, Robert Rector estimates that if all the current adult illegal immigrants in the U.S. were granted amnesty the net retirement costs to government (benefits minus taxes) could be over $2.5 trillion. The calculation of this figure are as follows. In March 2006, there were 9.3 million adult illegal immigrants in the U.S. Most illegal immigrants are low-skill. On average, each elderly low-skill immigrant creates a net cost (benefits minus taxes) for the taxpayer of about $17,000 per year. (This includes federal state and local government costs.) If the government gave amnesty to 9.3 million illegal immigrants, most of them would eventually become eligible for Social Security and Medicare benefits or Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid benefits. Normal mortality rates would probably reduce the population by roughly 15 percent before age 67. That would mean 7.9 million individuals would reach 67 and enter retirement. Of those reaching 67, the average life expectancy would be around 18years. The net governmental cost (benefits minus taxes) of these elderly individuals would be around $17,000 per year. Over eighteen years of expected life, costs would equal $306,000 per elderly amnesty recipient. A cost of $306,000 per amnesty recipient times 7.9 million amnesty recipients would be $2.4 trillion. These costs would hit the U.S. taxpayer at exactly the point that the Social Security system is expected to go into crisis.
What are you doing to our grandchildren?
By Rick in Lawrenceville
May 20, 2007 3:05 PM | Link to this
To followup to BackfromIraq:
For those of you who would make the argument that the current illegal population would contribute to Social Security…their contributions would be so small that it would hardly be noticed.
As far as income tax contributions from the current illegal population, the top 25% of earners pay 80% of the nations’ income taxes. It is very clear that the top 20% of US earners will be paying for the social services of all these new immigrants. They will be a NET DRAIN ON TAXPAYERS RESOURCES.
I myself would rather pay for the poor already in this country as legal citizens.
By Carson
May 20, 2007 7:52 PM | Link to this
Over three decades of lies and deceit and he wants to educate us.?
The thing that concerns me about any sort of immigration law reform is that every few years they re-invent the same laws. Each time they work in amnesty and gravy parts for the illegal aliens. They are always quick to hand out the amnesty and gravy parts but they never do get around to the enforcement parts of the laws.
Do they really need a shiny new set of laws when they have never given the old comprehensive laws a test drive?
http://www.vdare.com/rubenstein/051101_nd.htm
Notices of intent to fine employers:
1997: 865 1999: 417 2000: 178 2001: 100 2003: 162 2004: 3Worksite arrests of illegal alien workers:
1997: 17,554 1999: 2,849 2000: 953 2001: 735 2003: 445 2004: 159By Bob of Grayson
May 22, 2007 5:53 PM | Link to this
simply to say that, in spite of my overall admiration of each of my U.S.Senators from Georgia, I have NO intention of voting for ANYONE who would approve of such a bill… I am ashamed of each of you .
respectfully …..